"Akko"

After Shabbat services at Tents of Mercy, Saturday March the 13, we went to the Old City of Akko to have a time of prayer and intercession for the city and Israel. We met our hosts for the afternoon; Bill and Patty and went to one of the old 18th century ramparts. We walked up, past old cannons aimed outside the walls, gathered in a blanket of yellow wildflowers and began to sing and worship. “We praise a lot”, Bill told us, “Because praise weakens the enemy so much”.

For me it was almost too much to take in: the blanket of yellow wildflower waving in the breeze, Rusty up on the wall praising with outstretched arms and looking like he was touching God by the look on his face, cannons, perfect weather….”Oh, I know that song, but it’s in Hebrew…wonder if the Turks really expected to defeat Napoleon…Rusty better by careful up there…maybe I can sneak a pic of Amy in those flowers over there… …Bonnie better be careful in those shoes…God, I am overcome… I am back in Israel, I am really back… what is going on here…I feel You so closely but it’s almost too much!”

I could only thank God for the moment I was in and remembered a small prayer I had said when I left Israel last time:”Lord, I want to come back to Israel someday!”Immediately and so very clearly I heard God tell me; “you could have been more specific”. I knew what God meant; I had thrown up a generic prayer that He had nonetheless answered, when I could have asked to come back very, very soon. I really believe God was teaching me that the Land of Israel is so, very, very special to Him that praying to be able to visit there is so much different than praying for a vacation to the Bahamas. I had a sense that like any proud father, God also enjoys showing off His Holy Land. “You love this land don’t you Father, You really love this land!”
On this day, I ask you Father God to give me the very love for Israel and Your Chosen Ones that You have!